Published: Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 12:55 a.m.

A southern Lafourche Parish community is a great place to raise a family, according to a recent study.

Consumer advocacy website NerdWallet ranked Galliano the sixth best community out of 108 places to raise a family in Louisiana.

The group evaluated each location based on its public school rating, median home value, ongoing cost of homeownership, median income and economic growth. Communities in all states are being ranked.

Other Lafourche and Terrebonne communities that were ranked are Schriever, No. 24; Thibodaux, No. 26; Raceland, No. 30; and Houma, No. 43. Their lower median incomes dropped them down on the list.

“One thing we're trying to make clear is that when you buy into a home, it's more than the price. It matters a lot to take into consideration to look at income. That's why we gave real estate a more comprehensive look,” said NerdWallet analyst Mike Anderson, who compiled the list for Louisiana.

Anderson said the factors chosen were based on anecdotal evidence.

“People acknowledged that this is what families want: an affordable home, a good job and good schools,” Anderson said.

With Galliano, the cost of living in the area propelled it into the top 10, Anderson said.

“One thing about Galliano in particular is that your dollar goes a lot further than it does in some of the other towns on the list,” Anderson said. “In St. Rose, the median income is the same, but the average home is about $50,000 more expensive.”

Cut Off-based Edison Chouest Offshore employs a large portion of people in the area. Lafourche Parish Councilman Daniel Lorraine, who represents Galliano, said offshore companies have helped the town grow.

“All of the jobs that these boat companies have ... they hire people from the area and the money circulates. The money stays in the area,” Lorraine said.

Lorraine said surrounding areas, like Cut Off and Larose, also contribute, but the growth seems to be focused on the center of Galliano.

“It seems like there is more and more being built in the middle of the 10th Ward. ... It's not a bad community. From what I can see, in most places it's clean. We still have some work to do, but we're working,” Lorraine said.

To evaluate the communities, Anderson looked at 2010 census data and school rankings, provided by GreatSchools.com. Places with a population below 5,000 were not included on the list because of unreliable census data, Anderson said.

Anderson said he was intrigued by housing costs when he was evaluating the communities.

“Louisiana has an extremely affordable real estate market. Quite a few of the homes we saw were below $100,000. That's different than some states, like Virginia, where some of the better communities are not quite as accessible,” he said.

Big cities don't often find their way onto the top 10 list because they don't always have the best schools, Anderson said. New Orleans and Baton Rouge didn't rank in the top 50.

Staff Writer Jacob Batte can be reached at 448-7635 or jacob.batte@dailycomet.com. Follow him on Twitter @ja_batte

<p>A southern Lafourche Parish community is a great place to raise a family, according to a recent study. </p><p>Consumer advocacy website NerdWallet ranked Galliano the sixth best community out of 108 places to raise a family in Louisiana. </p><p>The group evaluated each location based on its public school rating, median home value, ongoing cost of homeownership, median income and economic growth. Communities in all states are being ranked.</p><p>Other Lafourche and Terrebonne communities that were ranked are Schriever, No. 24; Thibodaux, No. 26; Raceland, No. 30; and Houma, No. 43. Their lower median incomes dropped them down on the list. </p><p>“One thing we're trying to make clear is that when you buy into a home, it's more than the price. It matters a lot to take into consideration to look at income. That's why we gave real estate a more comprehensive look,” said NerdWallet analyst Mike Anderson, who compiled the list for Louisiana.</p><p>Anderson said the factors chosen were based on anecdotal evidence. </p><p>“People acknowledged that this is what families want: an affordable home, a good job and good schools,” Anderson said.</p><p>With Galliano, the cost of living in the area propelled it into the top 10, Anderson said. </p><p>“One thing about Galliano in particular is that your dollar goes a lot further than it does in some of the other towns on the list,” Anderson said. “In St. Rose, the median income is the same, but the average home is about $50,000 more expensive.”</p><p>Cut Off-based Edison Chouest Offshore employs a large portion of people in the area. Lafourche Parish Councilman Daniel Lorraine, who represents Galliano, said offshore companies have helped the town grow. </p><p>“All of the jobs that these boat companies have ... they hire people from the area and the money circulates. The money stays in the area,” Lorraine said.</p><p>Lorraine said surrounding areas, like Cut Off and Larose, also contribute, but the growth seems to be focused on the center of Galliano. </p><p>“It seems like there is more and more being built in the middle of the 10th Ward. ... It's not a bad community. From what I can see, in most places it's clean. We still have some work to do, but we're working,” Lorraine said.</p><p>To evaluate the communities, Anderson looked at 2010 census data and school rankings, provided by GreatSchools.com. Places with a population below 5,000 were not included on the list because of unreliable census data, Anderson said.</p><p>Anderson said he was intrigued by housing costs when he was evaluating the communities. </p><p>“Louisiana has an extremely affordable real estate market. Quite a few of the homes we saw were below $100,000. That's different than some states, like Virginia, where some of the better communities are not quite as accessible,” he said.</p><p>Big cities don't often find their way onto the top 10 list because they don't always have the best schools, Anderson said. New Orleans and Baton Rouge didn't rank in the top 50. </p><p>Staff Writer Jacob Batte can be reached at 448-7635 or jacob.batte@dailycomet.com. Follow him on Twitter @ja_batte</p>